Western Kentucky’s football team enters spring practice with a clear goal – identify the best 22 players on the roster who will form the initial first string.

In past years, WKU coach Tyson Helton already had a fairly good handle on at least a decent portion of that select group based on returning experience. But with close to 50 newcomers on the roster for the start of spring practice Monday, it’s a more complex job than ever for Helton and and his staff.

“This is by far the most turnover we’ve had,” Helton said. “Again, I’ve said it before, I enjoy this part of my job. I like putting the pieces of the puzzle together. College football has an ever-changing environment and it’s the wild, wild West right now. Like I said, 50 new players – that’s a lot. We lost probably close to 70% of our production from last year that’s left us, right? But, when good players leave, new stars arrive. And I think we have a lot of new stars that are here. We’ve just got to spend time with them, get through spring football, get through summer. But I really like our football team, really like our staff. I think if we do what we’re supposed to do, we’ll be in a good position to make a run.”

The changes don’t just involve the roster, which features 40 newcomers for the spring with more expected over the summer and into fall as the rest of the incoming freshman class and additional transfers join the program. WKU will feature three new coordinators this season as Rick Bowie takes over for Will Friend as offensive coordinator, while Da’Von Brown and Davis Merritt were elevated to co-defensive coordinators after Tyson Summers left to take over the defense at Colorado State.

Bowie spent last season at Abilene Christian as the offensive coordinator/QB coach.where he led one of the top passing offenses at the FCS level. Bowie’s quarterback at Abilene, Maverick McIvor, threw for 3,828 yards and 30 touchdowns and ranked fourth in the FCS in total passing yards, fifth in passing yards per game, eighth in total offense, sixth in passing touchdowns, ninth in points responsible for, fourth in total completions and seventh in completions per game.

McIvor is a Hilltopper now, by far the most experienced of the three quarterbacks on the spring roster – redshirt freshmen Tucker Parks and Rodney Tisdale Jr. are the others – after last year’s starter Caden Veltkamp transferred to Florida Atlantic after the season.

“We’ve got 15 exciting spring practices ahead of us and a great opportunity for the other quarterbacks in that room to see who wants to step forward,” Bowie said. “And if we get that, that will change sort of the approach moving forward. But always looking around at ways to improve your roster if need be, but obviously over the next 15 practices we’re pretty focused on the group we have to see if anybody takes that next step that we would need to feel some comfort.”

Brown and Merritt have the benefit of having worked on Helton’s staff last season, but also have plenty of question marks on the defensive side of the ball as spring practice begins. The Tops will close the spring with the Red & White Spring Showcase on April 12 at Houchens-Smith Stadium.

“We’ve got a lot of really new pieces,” Merritt said. “We’ve been in shorts and walk-throughs, so we don’t know what that looks like. We do believe in playing a lot of players. In today’s football, whether teams go fast or go slow, you can’t have guys out there playing 80 snaps at a time.”

Brown said the Hilltoppers will continue the aggressive brand of defense that emphasized game-changing turnovers during Summers’ three seasons leading that side of the ball.

“The name of the game is turnovers now, right,” Brown said. “We’re going to be disciplined, we’re going to be fast, we’re going to be together, we’re going to be tough.”

Helton sees the spring as primarily as an opportunity to evaluate the current roster and identify potential needs ahead of the NCAA transfer portal opening back up starting April 16. The Hilltoppers could lose some players to the portal then too, but Helton thinks for the most part the roster has stabilized after a busy winter portal period.

“It’s to be expected in any program – you’re going to lose some guys after spring and you’re going to add some pieces after spring,” Helton said. “It’s just part of college football today. But for right now, everybody’s working hard, everybody wants to earn their way here. It’s a pro mentality. Everybody is trying to win jobs and trying to be the best they can be.

“ … This part’s really big. Nobody in my mind wins jobs in the spring. We’re all working with each other, we’re trying to evaluate where we are as a team, we’re trying to get better.”

LOOKING BACK

With some time to reflect following last season’s 8-6 campaign, Helton pointed out the 26-21 home win against highly-regarded Toledo and the 19-17 home win against Jacksonville State in the regular-season finale to earn a spot in the Conference USA championship game as highlights of the season.

It didn’t end as well for the Tops, who were demolished 52-12 by that same Jax State team a week later. WKU still reached for the sixth time in Helton’s six seasons leading the program, but the understrength Hilltoppers lost 27-17 to James Madison in the Boca Raton Bowl to snap WKU’s three-game win streak in bowl games.

STABILITY AT THE TOP

Helton and WKU agreed to a contract extension that runs through the 2028 season in February.

Helton has compiled an overall record of 48-32 since replacing Mike Sanford as head coach to start the 2019 season. The Hilltoppers have twice earned spots in the Conference USA Championship game during Helton’s tenure, losing 49-41 to UTSA in 2021 and falling to Jacksonville State this past season.

Helton has had just one losing season in his six years leading the program and boasts a 4-2 record in bowl games.

“I tell everybody all the time this is a special place, this is a place that my family loves and enjoys,” Helton said. “I hope I get to stay here forever, and definitely this last contract was a big part of that. There’s a lot of great people here, from our president (Timothy Caboni) to our AD (Todd Stewart), they’re fully committed to our program continuing to grow and climb. You look at all the new facilities that have come online – the new press box, we’ll probably be done with the indoor facility late summer, early fall. It’s going to be a great facility. It just shows the commitment to being excellent. I’m glad to be a part of that, glad to continue to lead this team and excited with the direction we’re headed.”